With a commanding lead Tuesday night, former State Treasurer Janet Cowell informally declared herself Raleigh’s next mayor well before the final votes came in. “While they have not called it, I’m comfortable calling it, that we won,” Cowell told supporters at a watch party at Birdie’s restaurant in downtown Raleigh.

Janet Cowell, a former state treasurer and longtime political player in Raleigh, will be the city's next mayor, taking over the position from outgoing Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. Why it matters: Cowell will be tasked with guiding Raleigh through a critical period of growth that has placed stress on the city's housing prices,